ASTROLOGY FOR BEGINNERS

ASTROLOGICAL HOUSES

A natal or astrological chart is composed of three main ingredients: the planets, the signs, and the houses. The planets describe the type of action happening; the signs describe human qualities or traits; and the houses identify the everyday life situations in which all this is occurring.

The beginning of each house is its cusp. Although another sign may appear in a house, the sign of the cusp is the main focus of the house. The cusp of the First House is called the Ascendant; the cusp of the opposite house, the Seventh House is called the Descendant. The cusp of the Fourth House is called the IC [Imum Coeli – bottom of the sky]; the cusp of the opposite house, the Tenth House is called the MC [Midheaven – top point in the sky].

There are several ways to look at the houses. First is to consider them as periods of your life:

• The First House represents you when you were born, the way you look at life. Think back, as a baby, it’s all about “I”.

•  The Second House reflects that time when a baby recognizes they have a body and are separate from others. This house represents your possessions or what you hope to possess.

•  The Third House is that time when the baby begins to explore their environment; the crawling or beginning to walk stage, and the language development stage. This house represents communication, transportation, and our connection with siblings.

•  The Fourth House represents that time in which the child has settled down and is comfortable with being part of the family and understands the nature of “home”. This house represents family, home, roots, and what we are like deep down inside.

•  The Fifth House recognizes the safety of home but is ready to go out and explore the world. This house is about the ability to produce by being creative and, perhaps, taking risks. This is the house of sexual expression, of bearing children, and of our own inner child.

•  The Sixth House represents the stage of life when we stop and take stock; what are our priorities; where do we truly want to present ourselves; and when we begin to recognize the necessity of monitoring our health. It’s also about hobbies and pets, a time when we allow ourselves to slow down and enjoy life a little more.

The first through sixth houses are called the personal houses, because they proceed through our lives from birth to adulthood. The seventh through twelfth houses are about how we handle life on our own as adults, known as the collective houses.

• The Seventh House represents the kind of relationships/partnerships we are attracted to, whether personal or business, what we seek in a relationship, and uncovers those traits in ourselves that we may not recognize in ourselves.

•  The Eighth House reflects shared resources, including how we deal with finances in a relationship. It also represents how we reflect on and deal with the past, what traits we inherit, and our acceptance of self-knowledge and self-mastery.

•  The Ninth House represents philosophy, religion, and the time in life when we are searching for our purpose in life and guidelines to accomplish that. This house includes long journeys/travel either literally or in our minds to achieve perspective on our lives.

•  The Tenth House represents career, ambition, and reputation, but also the way in which we act in public as well as the image we want to project to the world. It also reflects the way we relate to authority figures.

•  The Eleventh House represents our desire to go beyond our individual needs to identify with something larger than ourselves, such as friends, groups, and community. It may also indicate the types of groups we would be drawn to and the way we make friends. In identifying our place in society, this house is often called the house of hopes and wishes.

•  The Twelfth House represents our subconscious longings and fears; and our “secret enemies”, which could be literal but more often are the hidden weaknesses or compulsions that undermine our achievement. Known as the house of karma, the house also includes institutions such as hospitals and prisons, place to remove people from society temporarily. At this point, we have come full circle and are awaiting wholeness again.

Next is a brief synopsis of each house intention. Please note how the opposite houses relate.

The following chart is a quick overview of the Houses and their qualities:

 Again, notice the correlation of the opposite Houses.

If you would like a free copy of your natal chart so you can follow along on this journey exploring Astrology for Beginners, email me at astrologywithann@gmail.com with your birth date, exact time of birth [on your birth certificate] and location of birth. Feel free to email me with questions, comments, or suggestions.

Next session: Putting It All Together